Europe and North America decide their road jerseys, while Italy contests the time trial
This weekend saw the majority of Europe and North America decide its 2011 women’s road race championships. Many went to defending champions, most went to form riders, while there were a few surprises. Doing things in the opposite way to the majority though, Italy held its time trial.
Lizzie Armitstead takes Great Britain title after Garmin-Cervélo isolates Cooke once more
Lizzie Armitstead (Garmin-Cervélo) took her first senior Great Britain road race champion’s jersey, after taking two under-23 titles, as her team dominated the race once again. In an almost carbon copy of last year’s race, Armitstead escaped in the early stages, taking teammates Sharon Laws and Emma Pooley, the defending champion, along with ten-time champion Nicole Cooke (MCipollini-Giambenini).
The three Garmin-Cervélo riders were able to use their superior numbers against Cooke, as they had done last year; this time though, it was Armitstead that was there to outsprint the Welshwoman and deny her an eleventh title.
Result Great Britain road race championship
1. Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Garmin-Cervélo
2. Nicole Cooke (GBr) MCipollini-Giambenini @ 2s
3. Sharon Laws (GBr) Garmin-Cervélo @ 4s
4. Emma Pooley (GBr) Garmin-Cervélo @ 8s
5. Laura Trott (GBr) Moving Ladies @ 2’48”
6. Lucy Martin (GBr) Garmin-Cervélo
7. Danielle King (GBr) Horizon Fitness
8. Catherine Williamson (GBr) Team Bizhub
9. Katie Colclough (GBr) HTC-Highroad
10. Emma Grant (GBr) Fro Viored
Robin Farina takes US title in breakaway photo finish
Robin Farina (NOW Cycling-Novartis) won the US championships road race, outsprinting the rest of a five rider break, which had formed in the final lap of he 120km race. The 33-year-old beat Andrea Dvorak (Colavita-Forno d’Asolo) in a photo finish, with Amanda Miller (HTC-Highroad) in third.
"I knew I had to be patient,” said Farina. “I knew this was going to be a race of attrition, especially today with it being so hot. So I just wanted to wait and let some early moves go and just follow a couple certain people. It just happened to pan out today."
The breakaway came after a three rider move, made up of Alison Tetrick Starnes (Peanut Butter & Co-TWENTY12), Jennifer Wheeler (Tibco-To the Top II) and Kasey Clark (Primal-MapMyRider) was pulled back by the peloton.
Result United States road race championship
1. Robin Farina (USA) NOW Cycling-Novartis
2. Andrea Dvorak (USA) Colavita-Forno d’Asolo
3. Amanda Miller (USA) HTC-Highroad
4. Kathleen Billington (USA) Team Danbury Audi @ 5s
5. Meredith Miller (USA) Tibco-To the Top @ 7s
6. Theresa Cliff-Ryan (USA) Colavita-Forno d’Asolo @ 21s
7. Emily Kachorek (USA) Team Primal Racing
8. Carmen Small (USA) Tibco-To the Top
9. Amber Neben (USA) HTC-Highroad
10. Samantha Schneider (USA) Tibco-To the Top
Marianne Vos adds fourth road driekleur to time trial title
Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit) took the Netherlands championship for the fourth time, to go with the time trial title that she defended on Wednesday. The 24-year-old escaped the AA Drink-Leontien duo of Irene van den Broek and Chantal Blaak in the closing stages of the 135km race.
Van den Broek, went clear early in the race with Petra Dijkman (Dolmans Landscaping) and Marieke van Wanroij (Nederland Bloeit), who did not contribute, but were chased back again by Skil-Koga and Vos’ Nederland Bloeit team. The AA Drink-Leontien.nl rider promptly attacked again alone, getting a gap, but this time Vos bridged across to her with Blaak on her wheel.
Despite being outnumbered two to one, Vos attacked with 5km to go and soloed to the finish; Blaak allowed teammate van den Broek to take a well-earned silver.
Result Netherlands road race championship
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
2. Irene van den Broek (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl @ 39s
3. Chantal Blaak (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl
4. Adrie Visser (Ned) HTC-Highroad @ 1’58”
5. Martine Bras (Ned) Dolmans Landscaping
6. Andrea Bosman (Ned) SRAM-WV Eemland
7. Amy Pieters (Ned) Skil-Koga
8. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
9. Roxane Knetemann (Ned) Batavus Ladies
10. Regina Bruins (Ned) Skil-Koga
Ina Teutenberg takes back German road title as HTC-Highroad takes control
Ina Teutenberg (HTC-Highroad) took back the German champion’s jersey that she first won in 2009 after she, and teammate Judith Arndt attacked in the early stages of the race. The two of them simply rode away from the rest of the field, which was controlled by their teammate, and defending champion Charlotte Becker, to finish 4’42” clear.
Having taken the time trial title on Friday, Arndt deferred to Teutenberg at the finish, with third place taken by former World time trial and cyclocross champion Hanka Kupfernagel (Radsport Rhein-Neckar) taking third, just ahead of the rest of the peloton.
"We had Lottie keeping control of things in the bunch so it was a good situation,” said Teutenberg. “With a lap and a half to go it was clear we were going to win. I told Judith she should get it because she had been stronger in the break, she said I should win because she'd already got a gold on Friday. At the end it didn't really matter, we both had had the same idea."
Result German road race championship
1. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) HTC-Highroad
2. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC-Highroad
3. Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Radsport Rhein-Neckar @ 4’42”
4. Daniela Gass (Ger) VC Gippingen @ 4’44”
5. Martina Zwick (Ger) Team Abus-Nutrixxion
6. Charlotte Becker (Ger) HTC-Highroad
7. Anna-Bianca Schnitzmeier (Ger) Team Abus-Nutrixxion
8. Lisa Brennauer (Ger) hitec Products-UCK
9. Madeleine Sandig (Ger) Team Stevens-Redvil
10. Romy Kasper (Ger) Kuota Speed Kueens
Judith Arndt defends as HTC-Highroad sweeps German time trial podium
Once again, veteran rider Judith Arndt (HTC-Highroad) was the class of the field on the German time trial championships. The multiple World time trial medallist finished 45 seconds clear of teammate Charlotte Becker, the 2006 champion, with Ina Teutenberg taking third, a minute behind, for an HTC-Highroad whitewash of the podium.
Result German time trial championship
1. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC-Highroad
2. Charlotte Becker (Ger) HTC-Highroad @ 45s
3. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) HTC-Highroad @ 1’00”
4. Trixi Worrack (Ger) AA Drink-Leontien.nl @ 1’46”
5. Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Radsport Rhein-Neckar @ 2’03”
Emma Johansson retains Swedish title with long solo break
Emma Johansson (Hitec Products-UCK) successfully defended her Swedish national title after attacking alone 5km into the 133km race. She was joined after 50km by Annika Löfström (Falu CK) and Monika Holler (Alriksson Go:Green), but left them both behind with 50km to go and soloed to the finish.
Jennie Stenerhag (Alriksson Go:Green) escaped the peloton to finish in second place, 1’16” behind Johansson, with time trial champion Emilia Fahlin (HTC-Highroad) winning the sprint for third.
Result Swedish road race championship
1. Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products-UCK
2. Jennie Stenerhag (Swe) Alriksson Go:Green @ 1’16”
3. Emilia Fahlin (Swe) HTC-Highroad @ 2’56”
4. Sara Mustonen (Swe) Hitec Products-UCK
5. Isabelle Søderberg (Swe) Alriksson Go:Green
6. Monica Holler (Swe) Alriksson Go:Green
7. Karin Aune (Swe) Michela Fanini-Record-Rox @ 2’58”
8. Linea Fredang (Swe)
9. Madeleine Olsson (Swe) Alriksson Go:Green @ 3’03”
10. Sara Olsson (Swe) @ 3’05”
Noemi Cantele adds time trial crown to road title
After her dominant display in Thursday’s road race, it was no surprise that Noemi Cantele (Garmin-Cervélo) added the time trial title, taking back the tricolore jersey that she held in 2009. The 2009 double Worlds medallist completed the 28.7km course in 39’57”, the only rider to go below forty minutes, to beat road bronze medallist Silvia Valsecchi (Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo) by 31 seconds.
Road silver medallist Tatiana Guderzo (Fiamme Azzurre), the defending time trial champion, finished third, 36 seconds behind Cantele, putting the same three riders on the podium as the road race.
Result Italian time trial championship
1. Noemi Cantele (Ita) Garmin-Cervélo 28.7km in 39’57”
2. Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo-Ghezzi @ 31s
3. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Fiamme Azzurre @ 36s
4. Simona Frapporti (Ita) Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo-Ghezzi @ 2’04”
5. Valentina Bastianelli (Ita) Vaiano-Tepso-Solaristech @ 2’36”
Result French road race championship
1. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Gauss-RDZ-Ormu
2. Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (Fra) @ 12s
3. Magdalena de Saint Jean (Fra) @ 18s
4. Joanne Duval (Fra) ASPTT Dijon-Bourgogne @ 4’12”
5. Béâtrice Thomas (Fra) ASPTT Dijon-Bourgogne
Result Belgian road race championship
1. Evelyn Arys (Bel) Sengers Ladies
2. Sofie De Vuyst (Bel) Lotto Honda Team
3. Lensy Debboudt (Bel) Keukens Redant
4. Liesbet De Vocht (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 2012-Ridley
5. Grace Verbeke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen 2012-Ridley
Result Lithuanian road race championship
1. Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Vaiano-Tepso-Solaristech
2. Katazyna Sosna (Ltu) Vaiano-Tepso-Solaristech
3. Inga Cilvinaite (Ltu) Diadora-Pasta Zara
4. Edita Janeliunaite (Ltu) Colavita-Forno d’Asolo
5. Vilija Sereikaite (Ltu) Panevezio-KKSC
Result Swiss road race championship
1. Pascale Schneider (Swi) Bike-import.ch
2. Patricia Schwager (Swi) Nederland Bloeit @ 17s
3. Jennifer Hohl (Swi) MCipollini-Giambenini @ 38s
4. Doris Schweizer (Swi) EKZ Racing Team
5. Angelika Meier (Swi) Team Hobi Bau AG
Result Canadian road race championship
1. Veronique Fortin (Can) P-K Express
2. Lex Albrecht (Can) Juvederm-Specialized @ 18s
3. Erinne Willock (Can) Tibco-To the Top @ 20s
4. Denise Ramsden (Can) Juvederm-Specialized
5. Joelle Numainville (Can) Tibco-To the Top
Result Ireland road race championship
1. Siobhan Horgan (Irl) GSD Gestion
2. Louise Moriarty (Irl) Look Mum no hands @ 4s
3. Caroline Ryan (Irl) Garda CC @ 7s
4. Heather Wilson (Irl) Maryland Wheelers @ 49s
5. Olivia Dillon (Irl) Peanut Butter & Co-TWENTY12 @ 51s